Lights Poxleitner-Bokan (born Valerie Anne Poxleitner; April 11, 1987) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, musician, comic book author, writer, and illustrator. She is known for her gold-certified albums The Listening and Siberia[4] as well as singles "Drive My Soul", "February Air", "Ice", "Second Go", "Toes", and "Up We Go". She released her fourth studio album, Skin & Earth, in 2017.

Early life

Lights was born Valerie Anne Poxleitner in Timmins, Ontario, to missionary parents, Virginia and Eric Poxleitner, alongside with her older sister, Jess.[9] She spent her childhood in many parts of the world, including the Philippines, Jamaica, Ontario, and British Columbia. She moved to Toronto at the age of 18 when she legally changed her name to Lights (stylized in all capital letters until late 2013). She got the nickname "Lights" from her last name Poxleitner. As there was already a signed band named "Lights", having her name officially changed was a way to use it despite prior use.[10][11][12][13]

Music career

2006-07: Musical beginnings

In high school, Lights played guitar and sang in the metal band Shovel Face. She set up a page on Myspace, accumulating a following. She began writing for Sony/ATV Music Publishing,[14] and composed music for the television series Instant Star.[15] She and Luke McMaster are credited with composing "Perfect," sung in the role of Jude Harrison on the show by Alexz Johnson.

In 2007, she contracted with Jian Ghomeshi, who acted as her manager until late 2014.[11]

2008-09: Lights and The Listening

Starting in early 2008, Lights toured cities in the Great Lakes region, in both Canada and the United States. Around the same time, her song "Drive My Soul" rose to No.18 in the Canadian Hot 100.[16] In late 2008, she toured the United States.[17]

In August 2008, Lights signed a record deal with Toronto-based label Underground Operations. She also signed an American partnership deal with Warner Bros. along with Doghouse Records.[18] Her EP was released in stores in September. Her second single, "February Air," which had been used in a commercial for Old Navy in early 2008,[10][19] released in December and sold about 12,000 copies.

In 2009, Lights released her third single to Canadian radio stations called "Ice" with a homemade video released on her MySpace. She also released a second video for "Ice" in Canada on November 10, 2009. It was released in the United States on November 11, 2009. On August 10, 2009, her music video for "Saviour" was released.[20]

In March, Lights was named on the American music website Shred News's 10 Artists to Watch in 2010.[21]

While touring in the summer on the 2009 Vans Warped Tour, Lights's single "Saviour" premiered on Canadian radio stations on July 6, 2009. The song is from her first full-length album, The Listening, which was released on September 22 in Canada.[22] It was released on October 6 in the United States after she left Underground Operations for her own record label, Lights Music Inc. The cover for the album was also released. According to Lights, the entire artwork was inspired by Watchmen, 28 Days Later, and Sailor Moon.[23]

2010-2013: Acoustic EP, Siberia, Siberia Acoustic, and tour

Lights performing in Toronto, 2010.

Lights toured during January-May 2010 with contemporary synthpop artist Owl City in Canada, the United States, and Europe. She was featured on Owl City's song "The Yacht Club" on the 2011 album All Things Bright and Beautiful, and appeared in the music video for their song "Deer in the Headlights." She went on a two-week solo UK tour in May 2010 being supported by fellow Canadian artist Rich Aucoin for most of her shows. Additionally, Lights was a special guest for pop-rock band Hedley's The Show Must Go... On The Road Tour, as well as These Kids Wear Crowns.

At the June 2011 Utopia Music Festival, Lights performed three new songs, "Toes", "Where the Fence is Low," and "Everybody Breaks a Glass." The single "Toes" was released in August as the first single to Lights' second studio album, Siberia. Lights signed with Last Gang Records; concerns by the label executives about her shift in style to a more gritty sound caused delay in the release of the album, but it was eventually released online in the US and Canada on October 4 and later that month in iTunes stores in Australia. Siberia received positive reviews and was nominated for a Juno Award for Best Pop Album of the Year.[28] Lights said in an interview that her favorite song on Siberia was "Flux and Flow."[29]

In March 2013, Lights released an acoustic version of "Cactus in the Valley", featuring Owl City, as a single in the UK.[30]

In July 2014, Lights' album, Little Machines, became available for pre-order on iTunes with its lead single, "Up We Go", available to download. The album was released on September 23 in the US and Canada.[33] "Running with the Boys" received radio play early 2015 as the second official single, while "Portal" and "Same Sea" received promotional releases.

In September 2014 the music video for "Up We Go" was released.[34] This video was filmed all in one take and currently has more than 2.5 million views. In October, Lights parted ways with her long-time manager Jian Ghomeshi.

In 2015 the artist continued touring extensively in venues such as Old National Centre in Indianapolis in support of the album. That year she began work on an EP titled "Midnight Machines".; it was released on April 8, 2016 and included six tracks from Little Machines, as well as two new songs called "Follow You Down" and "Head Cold."[35]

Avatars of Lights with her band and her songs "Same Sea" and "Up We Go" were featured in the 2016 video game "LOUD on Planet X".[36]

2017-present: Skin & Earth

In April 2017, Lights announced the forthcoming release of her fourth studio album, Skin & Earth.[37] A comic book series designed by the singer accompanied the release of the record, with the first edition published in July 2017. New music was released with each edition on a monthly basis until the album was released in full.[37] On May 28, Lights released a snippet of the first single on an online map of the world in her comic's Instagram account.[38][] On June 8 she released a second snippet of the song, and revealed the title, "Giants", on June 15. "Giants" and its accompanying music video were released on June 23.[39] The song peaked at number eighteen on the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart.[40] On July 14, Lights released a promotional single from the album, titled "Skydiving".[41] The album was made available for pre-orders on August 11, 2017, and was released on September 22, 2017.[42] Lights released the song "Savage" on August 11, 2017,[43] followed by "New Fears" on September 15, 2017. The album track "Fight Club" is featured in the game Just Dance 2018, released in October.[44] On November 7, Lights announced the "We Were Here Tour" with Chase Atlantic, Dear Rouge and DCF.[45] In January 2018, Lights embarked on the tour across North America, where she played 46 shows, in support of the album.[46] On February 2, 2018, Lights released the music video for her song "We Were Here".[47] She joined Young the Giant's fall tour in October as the supporting act.[48]

In November 2018, Lights collaborated with Deadmau5 on his track "Drama Free", which was released on his Mau5ville: Level 2 EP on November 16.

Awards

Lights won Indie Awards in the Favourite Solo Artist and Astral Media Radio Favourite Single categories during Canadian Music Week in March 2009 in Toronto.[7] She won the Best New Artist Awards in the Hot AC and CHR categories.[8] All awards were for her debut single "Drive My Soul," except the award for Favourite Solo Artist.

In 2010, she was nominated in the Indie Awards for "Video of the Year" (Drive My Soul), "Pop Artist of the Year,"[50] and in the Juno Awards for "Pop Album of the Year" (The Listening).[51]

In November 2010, her debut album The Listening was given a gold certification by the Canadian Recording Industry Association for sales of 40,000 units.[4] The certification trophy was presented during her Toronto concert on November 18, 2010.

In March 2018, her album Skin & Earth won the Juno award for "Pop Album of the Year".[54]

Personal life

Lights was introduced to Beau Bokan, the lead vocalist of metalcore band Blessthefall, at a Taking Back Sunday concert in Los Angeles, and the two quickly started dating. After becoming engaged in September 2011,[55] they were married on May 12, 2012 and Lights added "Bokan" to her last name (now stylised as Poxleitner-Bokan).[56] On November 4, 2013 the couple announced that they were expecting their first child.[57] Lights gave birth to their daughter, Rocket Wild Bokan, on February 15, 2014.[58] In 2014, the family moved to Mission, British Columbia.[59]